Transcript of a published sermon by Josh Hodum, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Don't Let Fear Stop You
- Moses told Israel that he was 120 years old and could no longer go out and come in; he would not cross over with them, and Joshua would lead them into the land.
- The reading puts God at the front of the transition: the Lord would go over before Israel, destroy the nations before them, and give them possession of the land.
- Its central charge is to be strong and of good courage, without fear, because the Lord goes with his people and will neither fail them nor forsake them.
- The preacher said he found and clung to these verses nearly ten years earlier, when he and his wife moved back to Corinth for him to become pastor and he felt scared and unprepared.
- He returned to Moses' charge to Joshua: Joshua was to go with the people into the land God had sworn to their fathers and cause them to inherit it, while the Lord went before him and remained with him.
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 31
Fear Is Paralyzing
- Fear can keep people from taking a step because they dread failure, embarrassment, and having to admit that an idea or their ability was not enough.
- The unknown sets the mind racing through possible scenarios, and even an unfamiliar headache can awaken fear in a family that has repeatedly faced cancer.
- He described cancer and cancer scares among his mother, sisters, aunts, and wife, and how similar symptoms could make the family fear that the same sickness had returned.
- A word spoken to his sister Anna—that cancer would not harm her or the family anymore—removed that fear, and later serious sicknesses in the family did not bring the fear of cancer back.
When Thou Goest Out to Battle
- Moses had already taught Israel that when they went out to battle and saw horses, chariots, and a people greater than themselves, they were not to be afraid of them.
- The preacher applies that instruction to a world he sees increasingly opposed to truth and to the church: larger numbers and a worse appearance do not settle the outcome.
- He says that he and God make a majority, and that those who stay on God's side will be winners in the end.
- Forty years before Israel finally crossed over, fear of the spies' report and of the giants made them see themselves as grasshoppers; that fear cost them the possession God had promised.
- He warns the congregation not to lose the revival, family blessings, and miraculous work God has for their community simply because fear keeps them from moving forward.
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 20:1
Fear Can Keep You From the Promise
- Adam and Eve's fear was rooted in what should never have entered their lives, and personal failures can make people assume that God will not forgive or restore them.
- The preacher answers that the God who saved and delivered them is still forgiving, still delivering, and still making a way; none of his hearers is worthy, but all can be used.
- The disciples had followed Jesus, witnessed his power and miracles, and received work to do, yet contrary winds in the boat made them cry that they would perish; Jesus rebuked the winds and questioned their little faith.
- He defines faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, urging his hearers to replace fear with confidence that God is still on the throne and has it figured out.
- Trained soldiers studied the odds and held back, while young David came in the name of the Lord and was used against Goliath; fear, he says, has hindered revivals, ministries, and miracles.
Every Calling Is Not the Pulpit
- He first felt the call to preach as a young boy; although his father had known before his birth that he would preach, his father never pressured him or tried to place him in that role.
- He was afraid that he could not preach or carry the calling, but when he finally walked to the podium, the anointing of the Holy Ghost overcame the fear in him.
- Not every calling is to the pulpit: God has a purpose and calling for every person he has pulled out of sin and brought into the light of the gospel.
- Fear can dampen people God has called as teachers, missionaries, and soul winners; the answer is not to let fear keep them from stepping into what God has called them to do.
Be Strong and Do It
- Solomon stepped into kingship after turmoil in his family and faced the large task of building the sanctuary, for which gold, silver, and timber had been gathered and stored for years.
- David told Solomon that the Lord had chosen him to build a house for the sanctuary and charged him to be strong and do it.
- A calling must be God's call—not a parent's wish, a friend's call, or everyone else's expectation.
- Those God has called should get out of their lives whatever needs to be removed, become dedicated and sold out to God, and serve him in the place he assigned.
- Feeling inadequate does not cancel the assignment: if God has told someone to do something, they can do it.
Scriptures: 1 Chronicles 28
He Will Not Fail Thee
- David repeated the charge to Solomon almost word for word: be strong and of good courage and do it; fear not, nor be dismayed.
- The promise attached to the work is that the Lord God would be with Solomon, would not fail him or forsake him, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord was finished.
- The preacher turns that promise against excuses—the river out of its banks, the wrong time of year, what happened last time—and says that now is the time to obey and go in to possess.
- Being talented or effective in one area does not excuse refusing another area where God wants to use someone; God equips his people for the work he assigns them.
- He closed by asking God to help the congregation overcome every fear and distraction, replacing 'I can't' and 'that's not for me' with the ability to walk in God's nudging and fulfill his call.
Scriptures: 1 Chronicles 28:20
Scripture index: Deuteronomy 31; Deuteronomy 20:1; 1 Chronicles 28; 1 Chronicles 28:20.
I'm going though into Deuteronomy chapter 31 we find here it was a very crucial time for the children of Israel it's a very crucial time and it was a time where Moses was instructed by God you're not going to cross over he was old he said I'm too old to come out and go in I can't bleed like I should do I'm going to we're going to change guard so to speak and that's a very critical time it's change is always scary and I will tell you this
I don't know that I've ever preached from these verses I've cloned to these verses for my own personal self in fact it's been almost 10 years ago when my wife and I moved back to Corinth to become pastor here at gospel tabernacle and I was scared to death I was not I will be honest with you I'm still not prepared to pass her but I knew at that point that I really didn't have any preparations I had served as associate pastor there in Cookeville I had served dad here before I moved to Cookeville I'd been with some great men of God in my life and had great men of God as voices in my life but coming as pastor was a very scary thing
and I reached and found these verses I believe God gave me these verses and I clung to them now to say that I've went back and read these verses or many times to encourage myself and to find the strength that I needed and perhaps that may be the very thing that's going on at this point
because I don't know why I was brought to these verses I in fact when I read them I knew these were my verses you know I hate to be selfish but these were my verses and then as the God began to just keep dealing with me and speaking to me I was like Lord you're not wanting me to preach my verses but he just kept on so I'm going to preach my verses tonight so
here we have it Moses wind spake these words until all Israel he said unto them I'm a hundred and twenty years old this day I could no more go out and come in also the Lord has said unto me thou shalt not go over this Jordan verse three the LORD thy God notice this he will go over before thee just because Moses is not able to go don't take God out of the picture amen just because Moses is not there don't don't remove God from the picture he said the Lord is going to go before thee and he will destroy the nations from before thee and thou shalt possess them and Joshua he shall go over before thee as the LORD hath said
verse 4 and the Lord said shall do unto them as he did to Sion and to all we got time to deal with that but let me just tell you this God went before the children of Israel and give utter defeat to sigh on and on in great victory to the children of Israel kings of the NMR ayats and unto the land of them whom he destroyed verse 5 and the Lord shall give them up before your face that he may do unto them according into all the commandments which I have commanded you
this is where I really want to pay attention to verse 6 be strong and of a good courage if I could tell somebody tonight I would scream it from the rooftop feel like I'm on the roof anyway be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the Lord my god he it is that does go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee
I want to talk to us tonight for just a few minutes I said I feel like I'll be brief but just bear with me until I feel like the Lord has done I want to talk to us about don't let fear stop you fear is paralyzing fear has stopped a lot of people from doing a lot of things not knowing if I can accomplish this nobody likes to be a failure nobody likes to tuck their head and say it didn't work my idea wasn't good enough I didn't have the ability come on I wasn't able to do that nobody wants to come in and say well I told y'all I was going to do this but I can't
peer pressure keeps us to where we want to accomplish everything that we set our minds to and we put our minds to this for that and but yet so many times we're afraid to take the step because of fear the unknown what could happen what might take place what possibilities are out there our mind races with all different scenarios of what this could take place and how this could fall over here and how this could fall in front of us and make this happen and we our mind torments us with things that brings about fear
even when we go and we find ourselves in the mornings with a headache and we're like I don't normally have headaches and then the thing that hits us is well I hope it's not come on I'm not the only one who has dealt with this I'll be honest with you my my mother's family my mother's family she has seen a couple of her sisters and a brother that has died of cancer I have had a sister my mom's oldest daughter that died of cancer my mom has had cancer even Andrea has had some scares with things that we thought was and you know and again it's brought fear and when things would crop up all of a sudden we would have this fear well I hope it's not I hope it's not
I'm gonna tell you something a few years ago a few years ago my sister Anna most of you know her her and her husband passed her up in the edge of Tennessee at the North Carolina and Virginia borders she was at a church service and she had had some some scares that made us think that possibly she may be having some of the same issues that mama had went through that Andrea had went through the Jennifer my older sister went through that my two aunts three and one of them was a survivor so three aunts total has went through she was having some of the same symptoms and said and the fear was there
but there was a man of God that spoke to her that night said cancers not gonna harm you cancers not going to harm your family anymore I can tell you tonight it removed the fear remove the fear from us and we've had other please that's a old us we've had two other sicknesses as hit our lives and our families I'm going through some serious sicknesses and and ailments in my body
but I've not had fear of cancer you know why because he said fear not come on fears torment us it creates havoc into our life we understand that anytime there's some change it takes place anytime that there's some differences in the way something looks or in the difference of the way something acts or something it brings about fear just to tell you the truth
I feared the reaction of what some people was going to think when they come in solve the stage in the different because it don't take a lot of things they don't take very much to get some people in a tizzy it really don't they get cheerful when something is out of the norm they get fearful Theo if I'd come out tonight and sit on the stool some of you but I had a heart attack after we put a stage in like this and you I'm not going to I'm not that dog but you know it brings about fear
and Joshua was about to take the helm of leading those children of Israel and they were still going to go into the land that was promised to them but they realized that theatre was going to grip them because of change and he said be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the Lord thy God
do you believe that he is God do you believe that he's still in control do you believe that he still calls the shots come on do you believe that God knows the end from the beginning the Lord by God he it is that does go with thee all I need to know is that God is going with me he meant here Mitch and I more I don't want to be mean tonight but I want you to get a point tonight I want you to understand something
I determined the long time ago that I was going to sell myself out to the work of God amen I didn't care I made up my mind that I was going to serve God to the fullest of my ability I so please understand me I also realize that there would be some people that would be on board and there would be some people that wouldn't be on board but I knew that I had to answer to God amen I will be accountable as a human being to my fellow Brent man to my brother and sister but I am giving my full life to the work and the kingdom of God
I have come this evening to stand before a group of people and tell you tonight that you know what I believe that God is preparing us to enter into a new realm of his glory I believe that God has preparing us to enter in these phase of what he wants to do in our in our families in our community and I've come tonight to tell the church see you're not don't be afraid because the God that we have heard the God that has been here from the day one and the inception of this church is going before us
he's gonna make a way when there seems to be no way he's gonna open the doors he's gonna defeat the enemy and come what may and come what life I'm gonna follow he'll and see the victory that he has for us fear not be not afraid for the Lord thy God he it is that does go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee I keep reading to us tonight
he said and Moses called unto Joshua Ned unto Him in the sight of all Israel be strong and of a good courage and you again you probably don't understand I believe and preached face I believe in preach God can do anything and I said some times and I wonder Lord when were we going to be there when are we going to see it and maybe again I'm preaching my verses tonight and maybe I'm preaching to my own self but I felt the unction of the Holy Ghost as God began to speak to me these same things again
when he said unto Joshua he said you be strong and of a good courage for thou must go with this people into the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them and thou shall cause them to inherit it and the Lord he it is that does go before thee he will be with thee he will not fail thee neither forsake thee fear not neither be dismayed
I've come to tell us tonight don't let fear stop us don't let fear stop us there are souls in our community that's dependent on somebody to touch it heaven on their behalf there are people in our and our families that need a church that's strong not only strong and worship but strong in the doctrine of holiness and strong in the doctrine of Jesus Christ and
I've come to mind to tell this church we don't have to worry you are not backing down we're not compromising but we're moving forward because the god that has been with us is the same God that's going with us into this great thing the revival that God has for us
we find just a few chapters before this Moses had instructed the people before he got down to the place where he wasn't able to lead but he said chapter 20 and verse 1 when thou go us out to battle against thine enemy and you see horses and chariots and the people more than now be not afraid of them I realized that I theory that it seems like the world is getting worse instead of better it seems like there's more against the truth than there are for the truth it seems like there are people that are more against the church than for the church
Washington is not our ally Hollywood is not our friend and it looks like the world is turning upside down but I want somebody to understand when we're going into battle it may look like there's more of them than there are of us but we don't have to be afraid
as I've said it over and over again me and God make up a majority against TV number I don't have to be afraid because I know in the end he's gonna win as long as I hate keep myself in his team as long as I stay on his side I'm gonna be a winner in the end you said don't be afraid of them it may look like there's more of them it may look like this is an impossibility test it may look like there's no way to win but I am your God I'm your God
you understand 40 years before the children of Israel went in to possess the land of promise 40 years before they crossed over Jordan it had been fear that kept them from winning mom and dad II couldn't get over the fact of the ill report by the street n spies they couldn't get over the fact that they were counted as grasshoppers among the Giants of the land of promise and it costs them it costs them severely because of fear they never possessed here
hear me tonight I would hate to think that some of us sent even here on our pews tonight when news out on the revival that God has for our community would lose out on the things that God wants to do in our families would lose I don't see in the miraculous take place in this church simply because we had fear but let me ensure you tonight if God before us it don't matter who is against us if God be for us who can be against us
it was Adam and Eve they had fear that kept him from coming out and meeting God in the cool of the day but their fear here me tonight was rooted because of things in their life that should have never been a man the things in their lives that should not have happened brought fear sin was the root of their fear in an amazing how that we can look and see our own failures and shortcomings and the first thing we want to do is think that God is not going to fix it amen
but did God save you did God pull you out of the miry pit did God pull you out of the Monk of sin itself if he did it he can save you and he can forgive you of your shortcomings because he's chosen you you're a chosen vessel of God and he's got a promise ahead of you don't let fear stop you from receiving the promise that God has for you don't let fear hinder you from stepping into the calling that God has for you don't let fear hinder you from being news of the kingdom of God because if God's ever forgiving he's still forgiving if God's ever deliver he's still delivering if God's ever made he's still making away
don't let fear stop you from being used the fear it has caused a lot of people to shirk the responsibilities that God has placed upon their shoulders hear me none of us are worthy but all of us can be used
the disciples were hand-picked one by one sometimes two at a time but Jesus went through he said would you follow me would you come and go with me will you be with one of my disciples until he has twelve men he they followed him around they witnessed him his power they witnessed his miracles they witnessed what he could do the life changes that he could make they witnessed him even telling them I want you to go out - but - I want you to lay hands I want you to cast out demons I want you to do all the work I want you to share
and then they get in a boat he's already give them instructions to carry out their lives serving him and they get in a boat with some contrary winds and they find fear that makes them think they're going to perish that's what the word says master was their cry carest thou not that we perish man Jesus woke and he rebuked the winds and he spoke to him he said o ye of little faith hear me that hike God didn't call you out of the world and put you into the church for you to perish like in this condition God didn't call you from the muck of sin but gives you the power of the Holy Ghost for you to die loss
I've come tonight to tell you get some faith in God mentor faith me increase here let me tell you faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen what we need is to get rid of fear and realize that God still on the throne and he's got it all figured out don't let fear stop to you let God use you here it's been the hindrance of many revivals fears been the hindrance of many ministries the years been the minute the hindrance of many miracles fear fear fear will catch you down with nothing else will
I'm persuaded to believe that any soldier that had a stood up with faith that their God was able to deliver could a slew Goliath but here's a problem every one of those soldiers that were there every one of those soldiers that were in the army they had already been trained and they studied the odds you know what happens to so many church people we get to trained to trust God man we study the odds of how that it can't happen but let me tell you if God's in the formula anything's possible
David a stripling of the youth was able to be used because he said I'm not coming with skill I'm not coming with power I'm coming with mine but I'm coming in one name and that name is above every name I wish somebody could understand if you comin in the name of the Lord I don't care how big your mountain is I don't care how difficult your situation is I don't care how impossible we may say if you'll let God use you you can't see big tree don't let fear stop you know what fear stopped you
please humor me tonight let me use my own self as an example I felt the call of God to preach when I was just a young boy I think God that I didn't have parents I spoke with my dad about preaching when I was just a very young child young man but he never pressured me he never brought it up to me he never tried to get me to do it he never said anything else about it God had told him before I was born that I was going to preach but he never tried to put me in that position but I was fearful then I couldn't preach I was fearful that I couldn't carry the calling that God had know my life
let me make something real clear here every calling is not the pulpit hear me don't don't don't get mixed up let's put it out there and be clear because so many people think that if you're called of God you've got to go to the pulpit and preach don't get mixed up please don't get mixed up with that cuz every call is not to the pulpit but I'm persuaded that God has a purpose and a calling for every one of us for every person that has been pulled out of sin and brought into the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ there is a calling and a purpose for your life and don't let fear stop you from entering into it
I will never I will say this tonight I had enjoyed serving God I had already sold out to God I had already made up my mind that I was gonna do whatever it took to live for God and I tried to fit in and every ministry in the church and I did this and I didn't have
but the night that I walked to the podium and I fulfilled the call that God had I had fear upon me I told him Elvis's leg never shook my mouth ahead but I know to tell you I felt the anointing of the Holy Ghost and it overcame the fear I wish somebody could understand God wants you to overcome your fear in the hope they give he's on your side no matter what you can overcome you can do it hear me
I believe that God's called some people to be Sunday School teachers but you floud fear to dampen your calling I believe that God's called some people to be missionaries but you've allowed fear to keep you from stepping into that road I believe that God's called some people to be enter Cedars but you've allowed seer to keep you from stepping into the realm that God's called you I know that God's called every one of us to be soul winners but so many of us will out fear to keep us from witnessing hear me tonight don't let fear stop you
I can only imagine Solomon stepping into the role of being king it had been tumultuous his brother had wanted to be king and had tried to take over the role of being king from his father they had had enough he of trouble and the brother had tried to to overthrow dad brother winds up dead and dad says Solomon you're the one that's supposed to be king you're the one that's supposed to follow me and he becomes he knows he's got the anointing he's supposed to become king and dad calls him aside and he says Solomon not only are you're going to be king but God wants you
and I read to us from first chronicles chapter 28 he said for the Lord had chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary now I'm going to tell you that's a big task they had been laying up gold and silver for years they had been saving in furs and they've been saving the trulia trees The Cedars of Lebanon for years they had been stockpiling things to build a house and all of a sudden Solomon dad looks at him and said you're the ones chosen but he went on and he didn't stop there he said God chose you to build him a house be strong and do it here be deceit
some of you have felt an unction of God in your life calling you I want you to understand something I want you to please understand it needs to be God's not mama's car come on it needs to be God's call not buddies cause it needs to be God's call not just because everybody else thing's doing it's cause it better to be God's cause but God's called you to do something and then they all go ahead and go further and say this
if it's God's called you're gonna have to get your life measured up to where you can be a servant of God hey man just go ahead and get the things out of your life that needs to be out of your life go ahead and clean up your act and serve God because if God's called you to do something you know what you need to do you need to be strong and do it
just be strong that does it you can't get bad playing patty-cake religion but if you'll get dedicated and sold out to God I don't care what he's told you to do they don't care where he's told you to go if he's told you to do it you can do it
we skipped down 10 verses first Chronicles 28 verse 20 David said to Solomon his son almost verbatim what we had already heard be strong and of good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed let's ring a bell to anybody have I read these verses before not in this place but these same words for the Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee until thou has finished all the work the service of the house of the Lord can I tell somebody tonight don't let fear stop you
you may feel inadequate so are all of us but I can do all things through Christ which strengthens there is not a task that God can put in my life that I can't accomplish as long as he's put it if I can push aside fear and put my truck in I can see the job until it's finished he was not a big deal even though it was a big deal
but Josh would just heard from the Word of God they said to go in possess whether Jordan rivers out of banks I didn't say nothing about the Jordan River I said go in and possess well it's the time of year Lord yeah it don't matter what time it is it's time to obey but God you remember what happened like I don't matter what happened last time now is the time to go in come on but God we come up with every excuse of why we can't and God is just saying do it be strong and do it be strong and do it be strong and do it let God lead you and you cannot fail
would you stand with me tonight what would have been the difference Adam and Eve come and fell repentant and still allowing fear to drive them what could be the difference in your life if you'll just go ahead God Delusion to Connors
we want to put our desires into the talk I'm guilty I'm guilty god I really don't want to preach I want to and you can the fill-in-the-blank tried it all we want to put in the blank of our fleshly desires and God's calling us to do listen coach I'd hate for a child and not here love Jesus Christ the power crunch simply because I didn't deal with kids
I'd hate for a child's blood to be up on Mayans because I'd rather sink and I teach class I brother I brother buckle down obey whatever God's calling is still trying to put my desires I don't care listen real close to this I don't care how good you are talented you may be
you will never be effective to you adhere to and you may be that the world's greatest in one area you may be the most talented in one area but if God's wanting to use you in another area you know what happens he'll equip you to do that just as well don't let fear stop don't let fear hinder you don't let fear keep you grounded when gods want you to so overcoming fear if I could say this one more time be strong with net strengthen we find it
thank you for the power cheery night thank you for them abilities kept us Lord to overcome every fear help us overcome every distraction fulfilling the call that was not to say I can't what happens to say I can that was not to say Lord and that's not for me but if the nudging is there give us the ability to walk in it
Scripture references as spoken: Deuteronomy 31; Deuteronomy 20:1; 1 Chronicles 28; 1 Chronicles 28:20.